Revell 1/48 B-1B
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I have had this kit in the stash for about a decade now. (The day I bought it at Happy Hobby in Milwaukee the owner, Dennis, called me out the front door and an actual B-1 was doing a flyby at Timmerman Field! True story!)
I have built one of these back in the 90's and I had bad memories of it. With my previous experience I was determined to correct all the problem areas. The major time spent on this kit is painting the cockpit, wheel wells and bomb bays. After that assembly goes quite quickly.
The most important thing to pay attention to is that the bottom fuselage piece. It is a large piece and it ends up rather flat. It should have a slight vee shape to match the bottom of the bomb bay formers.
(The perfect part will come while gluing things together.) Pay attention when gluing the forward fuselage halves together so all the panel lines line up. The rear mating surface will have a slight peak to it on the top and bottom. Dress this with a small file so you get a straight line between the upper two and bottom two corners. Failure to do this will leave large gaps on either side. (Or a crooked fuselage if you close one side up.) The extra attention during assembly has allowed me to build this one without having to fill seams with putty. I just let the old Testors tube glue squeeze out of the joints and sanded everything down when set. (Make no mistake, there was still a LOT of sanding, but it's in the paint shop now!)
Looking good. How are you going to get her bombs in the bay?
The same way I change out the oil cooler seals in a 914 with the engine in place... Very carefully!
Seriously though, the rotary launchers still turn so I'll spin them around as I glue the weapons on.
Back in 1982, when I went up to Edwards AFB to do the high altitude training for my high altitude card so I could make a flight with the Wild Weasels (that ride in an F-4E definitely qualified as Best. Rollercoaster. Ride. Evah!), they took us into the main hangar and let us see the two B-1A prototypes. We even got to sit in the cockpit. (In those days it was "canceled" so it didn't have a very high security priority). I didn't tell them that when I arrived the day before I had gone walking around and discovered the space shuttle "Enterprise" abandoned behind the big hangar, with the cockpit hatch open and a ladder up to it. Which I had taken advantage of (would you have said "no" to that opportunity?) I'm the only modeler I know of who ever sat at the controls of a space shuttle. And it was the "Enterprise"!
I tell that because it was pretty interesting to get that up-close-and-personal with the B-1. Bomb bay open, etc. "Give us your cameras" beforehand, though. ( 🙁 )
The B-1 is quite an impressive machine. I'm sure pilots who got into the program were very excited. Sure they were assigned to a bomber, but it's the most fighter-like heavy bomber ever! (The Vulcan probably comes close though!) The lines are also very pleasing when the wings are swept back and everything is cleaned up!
I did get to see one of the B-1As at Wings Over the Rockies. Even between the four of them each one is unique having some detail different on it than the other three.
Josh my friend - the cockpit looks awesome! Well done, Sir! I look forward to the rest of the aircraft.
Thanks Jeff! I figured I'd get this one under my belt before I start putting the really big parts together on the Peacemaker!
Looks awesome. You will need a lot of real estate to display it once you are done.
It's not too bad if you keep the wings swept back.